Happy Christmas!

Hi everybody

Merry Christmas! It is still Christmas at home, but already Boxing Day here (my first one!).

We had a lovely Christmas here in NZ. We spent Christmas Eve at the Preston's, and then spent a very quiet Christmas together in Island Bay. We slept in until 9, had boiled eggs in Rory's new egg cups, Skyped our families, ate Rory's fantastic roast beef lunch with all the trimmings, walked to the beach, listened to Christmas music, drank wine on the deck, and then had a simple dinner while watching Christmas movies.

It was a very different Christmas than I've ever had, but I am so grateful to be able to spend it with Rory, and in such a beautiful place.

Today we are getting ready for our big camping trip that starts tomorrow. Our flight leaves at 7am (!) so we'll have to have everything packed before we go to sleep. Sara and Nik gave us a cooler bag and waterproof blanket for Christmas, so we have all sorts of camping gear now. I'm very excited.

So...love you and miss you! Have a very very Merry Christmas (or as Rory would say, Happy Christmas)!

Love
Amy

Go see this film!

Hi everyone,

We've had a rainy weekend here, so we decided to go to the Penthouse for an independent film. Our choice ended up being a Lebanese film entitled 'Caramel' and it was so fabulous. It was in French with English subtitles, but it didn't detract in the slightest. The film is a slice-of-life in Beirut, and it focuses on the lives of five women. I'm not sure how easy it is to find it to rent in the States, but if you can, do!

We then went to Jewel of Nepal and just happened to run into my coworker Duncan and his girlfriend, so we ended up sitting together for a few hours. His girlfriend is from Vancouver and met Duncan is a way eerily reminiscent of Rory and I's story, so we had a lot to talk about.

Today has been a bit more lazy. Rory is officially on Christmas break, so he is treating me to homemade spaghetti and meatballs tonight. I have 1.5 days left of work before my holiday begins.

To all of my friends and family in the Pacific NW: hunker down and stay warm!

Love,

Ames

More Christmas parties

Hi everyone

Today was Rory's work Christmas do. We lawn bowled and drank all day long (from about 2 to 7.30). My totals:

5 Steinlager Pures
3 shrimp skewers
3 chicken skewers
3 olive, feta, and spinach samosas
2 Bowling games
2 Losses
1 good bowl
9 okay bowls
10 bowls that went off our field

It was really fun, but wow, was I terrible. I started the day at work, where we had our Secret Santa. I got some homemade shortbread and some candles, and also some mystery pressies from Lynda (the CEO). From there I met Rory and it was off to Mt. Vic Bowling Club.

Sorry that there was a two-week gap in the middle there. There wasn't much to report: just working and hanging out at home. We do have Skype going now, so I get to see Bets and Stef every other day or so. :)

Love,
Amy

Christmas parties

Hi everyone

We had our Write Group Christmas party quite early (on the 5th). It was sort of last minute, so we just had a nice meal out at Istanbul, with some drinks at the office beforehand.

From there, Rory and I met Nik and Jakob and friends at Oriental Bay, as the sun was setting. It was beautiful! But it really doesn't feel like Christmas.

Love,
Amy

More piccies

Getting back into the routine

Hi everyone

My parents made it back home last night, and both went back to work today. I know they're both pretty tired, and actually so were Rory and I. After about three nights' sleep, we're both almost recovered.

It was really difficult to say goodbye to my parents. I've been trying to keep myself occupied since Sunday morning, and things have been busy enough that I've coped alright. Sunday afternoon was Nik's launch, so Rory and I went to support him. Sunday night we did laundry and cleaned, and Monday it was back to work. Things are much quieter at work now, so I've only worked a few extra hours so far this week (which is just as well).

Today was my first Business Writing class. It was interesting, and it turns out that I've been doing a few things incorrectly for years. The most confusing thing for me is practice vs. practise...practice is a noun and practise is a verb. Of course, Americans only have one version, so I feel like I'm back in 1st grade again with those little details.

It looks like we'll be spending Christmas at home. It is just too expensive to go anywhere at this point. We've definitely learned our lesson about booking things in advance here in NZ, and unfortunately we learned the hard way. At least we have Rory's fam's visit to look forward to, and we should probably save up our money for that anyways.

I've got my company Christmas party this Friday, and then afterwards we are going to a beach party at Oriental Bay. Rory's Christmas do is on the 19th, and we'll be spending the day lawn bowling and drinking a large amount of free alcohol.

It was so nice to see my parents. I'm going to keep posting pictures, since we have so many good ones. :)

Love,
Amy

Pictures of the four of us

Hi everyone,

Out of 700 pictures, we only have two photos of all four of us. I told my mom I'd post them. :)

Love, Amy

South Island with the parents

Hi everyone,

We've been too busy to blog!

We left on Thursday morning for the South Island. We took the ferry from Welly to Picton, and then a bus from Picton to Nelson. We stayed in a beautiful waterfront apartment on Wakefield Quay, and ended up just getting fish and chips from across the street. We just didn't feel like traveling anywhere else!

Friday morning we left took an early bus ride from Nelson to Kaiteriteri for our tour of Abel Tasman National Park. The first part of the day was spent sea kayaking. I felt a bit seasick, but everybody else had a good time. Then we ate our picnic lunches (and had some beer and cake!) and caught the boat up to the seal colony at Onetunga Island. From there we were dropped off at the Quarry Camp for our nature walk. The islands are made of granite, so the sand was tiny pieces of white granite, and there were enormous granite boulders (of all colours) all over the islands. The sea was a gorgeous turquoise blue.

Our walk took us through native bush down to two other beaches. We had time at the end to just lay on the beach and enjoy the scenery, and then we caught a boat cruise back to Kaiteriteri. We connected to our bus, and finally made it back to Nelson about 8pm. We had a drink on our balcony and then had a lovely dinner at a restaurant across the street. It was a fantastic evening.

Yesterday we shopped at the Saturday market before our bus and ferry back to Wellington. We arrived back at home about 6pm and had a big pizza dinner with Nik, Sara, Jakob, and Sam. Afterwards we played Nik's new game (its all finished and launches today!) and then went to bed. Mom and Dad leave in just a few hours, and I'm feeling pretty sad.

A note from mom: Hard to believe it is time to leave already. We really enjoyed our stay on the South Island - absolutely beautiful - a cross between the San Juan Islands and Eastern Washington with lots of green pastures and Douglas Fir (that is what the sign said) on the during the ferry trip through the Queen Charlotte Sound and then miles (or kilmeters) of vineyards with brown hills in the background during the bus trip to Nelson. There were some incredible hairpin curves going up and down the mountains, but our bus drivers seemed to have everything in control. Our stay in Nelson was perfect with a great deck to watch the boats coming and going. We had some of the best fish and chips (even Kevin agreed) for dinner on the deck and wonderful New Zealand wine and beer (yes, Kevin loves NZ beer). The trip to the national forest as Amy described above was great - another full day of beautiful sites with lots of great pictures. Great shopping at the Nelson Market - just wish we had some bigger suitcases with us. We bought Hell's Pizza last night for everyone and then playing Industry - the New Zealand game was fun (bringing home a copy to share - his first sale), especially because I won! The game lasted longer than usual as there were 6 of us playing so Amy did help out a little to let me win to finish the game. This morning we will make one more walk to the grocery store - have we told you that Amy and Rory live on quite a hill - to bring home some chocolate and tim-tams. Will be hard to say good-bye as we have enjoyed every minute here. Will spend the next 1 1/2 days in Auckland and then home on Monday. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Love,
Amy and Mom

Hi everyone,

We had another busy day yesterday. We started with the Cable Car and Botanical gardens, had lunch at the famous Backbencher Pub, continued on to Cuba Street, caught a bus up to Mt. Vic, and then walked back down into town.

The weather isn't cooperating, but we are trying to stay positive. We are having severe gales, so we weren't able to go to Martinborough. We'll spend the day around Island Bay instead.

The police came in the middle of the night again (this is the second time in four nights). They are looking for some criminal named Rajamastad, who gave the police our address as his residence. This time they came at 5am with full uniforms AND biosecurity suits. It is ridiculous.

A message from mom: We are experiencing first hand "windy Welly" with gale force winds last night continuing throughout today. Even with the overcast skies we have been careful with sunburning as the UV rays are at "extreme high" levels and when the sun comes out it is HOT. We really enjoyed our walk thru the botantical gardens - the roses were gorgeous with lots of colors and fragrances. Lunch was really fun and tasty and then seeing where Amy and Rory lived when they first arrived was insightful to their experience with the high winds and the long, very steep walks up and down the hill. Finishing the day with another good meal (Wellington has more eating establishments per capita than NYC) this time Turkish with lamb, chicken, and the most delicious baklava served with ice cream and raspberry puree. Will spend the rest of the day on the bay front searching for beach glass and walking the harbour. Kevin had a fun visit with a local fisherman which owned a small store called "Steve's Fishing Store". Unfortunately the high winds have kept most fishing to a minimum - will have to save that adventure for our next visit. Even in the wind, Wellington is beautiful and we are having a really great time.

Love,
Amy and Mom

The parents are here!

Hi everyone,

Mom and Dad arrived on Saturday morning, and we've been on the go ever since. We picked them up from the airport at about 8am, and then spent the day in the CBD. We walked by parliament, then by the waterfront to Mac's Brewery (where we had lunch), then on to Oriental Bay. After that we caught the bus to Newtown and went to the zoo, and then got some dinner at Planet Spice.

Yesterday we went on the hike to Red Rocks. We started at Island Bay beach, then up to the Oku Reserve, and then on to Red Rocks. The whole walk was probably close to ten miles, so we spent the evening on the deck resting with an assortment of NZ beers. I made some pizza for everyone, too.

A message from mom: Having a wonderful time. Flight over was great catching up on movies and getting a little sleep (flight was a little over 13 hours from San Francisco). Wellington is beautiful with rolling green hills and lots of wonderful houses from the 30s with incredible stained glass windows. The suburbs are small towns and the bus system is easy. Both Kevin and I are thoroughly enjoying the walking. Heading to wine country today and gale force winds are expected tonight, so we are experiencing all kinds of weather. Amy and Rory's house has a fabulous view and is very comfortable and roommates are delightful. The pizza Ames made last night was really the best we have ever tasted - will be bringing home her recipe. So glad we are here - I know the days will pass too quickly.

Oku Reserve at sunset

Hi everyone,

We had our friend Susan over for dinner and a sunset hike last night. I made greek salad with all of the fixings, and then we realized it was getting late so we briskly tramped (the proper NZ word for hiking) up to the Oku Reserve. We were just in time to catch the sun going down over the South Island.

I wasn't feeling well today, so I only worked until 1 and have been in bed ever since. I'm trying to do everything I can now to ensure that I'm well by the time my parents arrive on Saturday morning.

Just one more day of work! And loads of other things to do....

Love
Amy

Blogging on the lunch break

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would say a quick hello. I have exactly seven minutes left of my lunch break ...

My parents arrive in four days! I have so many things to do before they get here, but I'll get through them. Work is extra busy because I'm taking all of next week off. It'll feel like a real vacation!

I bought a new patio table (for 15 dollars, including delivery, from Salvation Army). It'll be great to sit on the deck now that the weather is better. There has been so much sunshine, and it is light between 5.30am and 9pm! Makes me a happy camper.

Tomorrow night we are taking a Greek salad picnic up to the Oku Reserve. Thursday we are helping Nik box up his games. Friday we are having a farewell gelato with Susan. Saturday morning (at 8am!) my parents arrive.

It'll be a busy time, but I'll try my hardest to blog!

Love,
Amy

Week of 10-14 November

Hi all,

I haven't been very good at updating this again, and my reason is that I've been very busy at work. In fact, in the last two weeks, I've worked an extra 30 hours! It has been a bit stressful, but the extra money will come in handy for my parents' visit and for our Christmas trip.

Some examples of the work craziness: Monday morning I ended up playing caterer for a Mexican party (for three hours). Tuesday I spent over six hours attending a marketing seminar (not my field, and I've only been with the company for a few months). Wednesday was my Advanced reading course followed by three hours of last minute PPT work for the CEO. Friday was spent mostly in meetings.

My parents arrive in just six days...I'm so excited! The weather is getting very nice, and the temperatures are just about right for a pair of Northwesterners. There has been plenty of sunshine, but also a soft breeze coming off of the sea. It is getting to the point that we leave the window open at night.

Wednesday night we met Susan for a night in Newtown. Her time in NZ is almost over, so we're trying to check the last boxes before she flies back to Canada. I took her op-shopping, and then we met Rory for dinner at Amigos (the Chilean place). The food is so nice, but also very rich...but that didn't stop us from finishing off the evening with chocolate gelato from the Mediterranean Food Warehouse. Then Rory and I walked from to Island Bay (it took about 45 minutes, but we needed it after all of that food!).

Friday night I met Rory for dinner in Newtown again (it is my favorite place to go for a meal). We tried Beijing, and the Chinese food was delicious. We had dumplings, fish rolls, and Beijing style pork. The pork came with little pancakes that resembles tortillas, and you rolled it up with lettuce, sauce, and little crunchy potatoes. Yum! Then, once again, we walked home.

Yesterday we spent the whole day looking for deals for Christmas break. Rory and I both get two weeks off, and they mostly overlap. Right now we are looking at either going to the Bay of Islands in Northland or to the bottom of the South Island, Fjordland. It is just a matter of whether we want beaches or mountains, I guess.

I'll try to be better at blogging this week. And then mom and dad will be here! Hooray!

Love, Amy

The weekend so far

Hi,

My description of these pics is a week late now, so I'll just briefly catch you up.

On Friday night I attended a leaving do for one of the managers at Write, Bettylyn. I took some pictures around my building while I was waiting for my ride to arrive. The party was very nice...there was lovely food, friendly people, and a few tears. But don't feel too bad for Bettylyn...her husband is a NZ diplomat, and there are moving to Paris for three years!

Saturday night Rory and I went to Seoul House for Korean food. We opted for the BBQ, not knowing that they would literally bring a BBQ to your table and dump a load of stuff onto it. And then they walked away, without telling us it was our job to cook everything. You can tell from the 'after' photo that Rory and I waited a bit too long for clarification.

Sunday was a quiet day. We took a short walk around Island Bay and Owhiro Bay, but otherwise stayed around the house.

Love, Amy

Pictures by Duncan Sarkies

Hi friends and family,

My coworker (and novelist and writer for Flight of the Conchords) was kind enough to let me use his pictures on my blog. He snapped a whole series of people watching the election results. My favorite is the one of Nik, Sara, Rory, and me...the first good picture we have of the four flatmates.

Thanks again, Duncan!

Hugs,

Amy

What a day!

Hello everyone,

I had an incredible day yesterday. OBAMA WON! I think I will always remember the moment that they called the election...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I got off of work at 1.20pm, and was in the pub by 1.30pm. I was feeling a bit apprehensive because everyone else wouldn't be off work until 5 and 6, but I grabbed a stool and tried not to worry about it. Luckily, I ended up meeting a friendly Canadian girl called Susan (in the green shirt above). For the next five hours we discussed the results, talked about our travels, and all sorts of other things (hey, we had the time).

At about 4 we got kicked out of the upstairs since the place was over capacity, so we headed downstairs. We found a booth with a TV facing it, and we were set for the big event. About an hour later, just as polls closed in the West, CNN declared Obama the winner. I couldn't believe it, and I still quite can't. It is just so fantastic. The pub went nuts, and there was cheering and hugs and tears...a wonderful moment.

My boss Michelle arrived just as Obama was giving his speech. Then Rory showed up, and then Nik and Sara, and then a few other coworkers...I felt so lucky to be sharing the experience with people from all over the world.

Fittingly, it was also Guy Fawkes night, so there was a huge fireworks display about 9pm. Rory and I had some lovely Italian food and then grabbed a spot near Oriental Bay. It was so beautiful reflecting off of the Harbour.

So all in all, I had a truly great day. There will be more pictures coming tomorrow, as one of my friends took some photos, too.

Love you all!
Amy